Days That Don't Belong
by Midnight Axis
Summary: Harry is dealing with the aftermath of the war when he hears the new that Dumbledore is alive! But...he doesn't look like the Dumbledore he remembers. He looks like he came out of Rita's book of his younger days. Slash AD/HP NO flames. Young!Dumbledore
1. Chapter 1

Story: Days That Don't Belong

Author: Midnight Axis

Rating: T (most likely won't change)

Warning: This is SLASH with Albus/Harry but Albus is young again. If you don't like it or it creeps you out, don't read and don't flame but constructive criticism is always welcomed as long as you aren't insulting.

This story contradicts some deaths in DH but has almost no change in the plot line whatsoever other than that.

Now on with the story. Hope you like it!

-Chapter 1-

-The Reminders-

Harry watched the grandfather clock with the yellowing head tick down the time until Ginny would arrive as per the letter she had sent a few measly days before. Days didn't really matter to Harry much anymore since the war. The only thing days meant for Harry was when he'd have to go to the next funeral and the next obligatory trial for the hundreds of random people being accused of assisting the Death Eaters in the war.

Harry was sick of the days that went by and forced him to remember all that was wrong in his life. Harry knew, from what people were constantly telling him, that he should be happy that he survived and that he had saved the world from certain chaos, but Harry just couldn't forgive the days for ganging up on him in order to pass by slower than they had ever had in Harry's life, including Harry's time at the Dursley's.

The Dursley's had returned back to their house when a month after the Final Battle some Ministry official thought it would be good to suck up to Harry and thought going through his relative's was the best way to do it. So the summer after sixth year wasn't the last time he had been forced to see them. Uncle Vernon had horrified many wizards in his day but none quite like this certain pretentious official. Vernon Dursley ended up being forced to live out his life with purple polka dots that sprung frequent warts. Dudders on the other hand had become somewhat of an occasional acquaintance to Harry in his couple months at Grimmauld's Place, giving advice that Harry had been sure hadn't existed inside Dudley's head until they started up an occasional Muggle correspondence. Harry thought it interesting that Dudley had realized that his life could be something that other people didn't expect him to be while Harry had lived by expectations all his life and was just now slowly learning to live with his own direction.

Ron and Hermione visited him frequently. They both still lived with the Weasley's though Harry couldn't see why anyone would want to be around the extremely protective and hysterical Mrs. Weasley but they both had their jobs that Harry supposed offset the constant shadow of the war. Hermione spent much of her time helping Ron through his experiences in the war without really bothering to see anybody for her screwed up mind. Harry knew that the wizarding psychologist that he corresponded with was just dying to get inside her brain, but Hermione was the steam engine that could. She never stopped working on new projects trying to sew up the fissures that had erupted across the world especially between the Muggle and wizarding world, and Harry was just counting on the days until it finally sunk in that they had lost Lupin, Tonks, her parents that were still somewhere in Australia that last she had heard, and several friends that she talked with at school as well as the fact that Voldemort was gone and he wasn't coming back.

Ron was going into the Auror program. He was Harry Potter's best friend and a big war hero so the Ministry couldn't afford to not accept him, but Harry didn't know what to do with his life anymore. The ideal life of an Auror saving people from the dark wizards that still ran rampant through the wizarding community, many looking for revenge for the Dark Lord's death. The worst part is that so many were mad that they didn't care about being caught as long as they proved there point which led to many horror stories that would shock even the harshest war survivors.

Harry wanted to help but he didn't want to be the center of attention. Maybe this was arrogant, but even though Harry was thinking of going into healing, he just wasn't sure that he would get the same experience that everyone else took for granted and one that he needed. His immense power and reputation for being the Savior and now the Man-Who-Lived was a spotlight at the best of times.

The doorbell chimed at the door to Grimmauld's Place. After the war, when Harry had only wanted to hide for days on end and get away from the world that had screwed him over, this was where he came. Since he didn't want hordes of devoted fans easily finding the now freely given address on a whim, Harry had redone the Fidelius Charm upon the dank old building that Harry had been working to clean since his arrival a month or so ago. Apparently he was one of the only wizard's alive with the power to perform such ancient and powerful magic. Now only he, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and the astoundingly alive Professor Severus Snape (Order of Merlin First Class) knew where to find him these days in his misery.

Harry's experience with Severus Snape when they first saw each other after his recovery from Nagini was something that Harry still had to play over and over in his mind.

_Harry walked into the room in 's that Snape had been moved into after Harry had testified of his heroism in the war. Before Harry had done so, Snape had been lucky that the Healers hadn't just pulled the plug. The system after the war was not fair in the slightest. The more heroic stories you had from the war, the more and better you got treated. Harry loathed many of the Healer's prejudices from the war but it wasn't his battle until Snape very nearly died again when he was helped while Harry was getting his charges cleared._

"_Snape." The man in question raised his head from where he was attempting to put on his robes to leave the place. Snape's voice was scratchy at best and would probably always be hoarse to some extent._

"_Potter. Thank you." That was all that was said, and that was all that was really needed. Soon the two became confidants of the other as they both dealt with their experiences that no other could relate to. This helped their friendship along greatly._

Harry had Snape over for tea every Tuesday but for some reason the black-clad man hadn't shown up the other day. Harry had considered flooing over to see if he was alright until he realized he didn't know where Snape lived,

Harry rose from his melancholy state in what could now safely be called a parlor in order to answer the door for what he assumed to be Ginevra Weasley. The portrait of Mrs. Black was probably even more annoyed than Harry at the suggestion of visitors, though it was a close call.

"Harry!" was the voice that came from the beautiful young woman on Harry's doorstep. It wasn't that Harry wasn't happy to see Ginny, just that he didn't know what to _do_ with her once he saw her. Harry wasn't sure of his feelings towards most things nowadays let along old girlfriends that he had broken up with months ago for her own safety, or so he told himself.

"Hey, come in?" was Harry's generous response to Ginny's enthusiastic smile.

"I've come with amazing news you will _never_ guess what I am about to tell you!" Harry was going to guess something simple such as Teddy had learned how to create a pig's nose or some other cute trick that Teddy seemed to be learning in abundance these days. But what came out of her mouth was, "Albus Dumbledore's alive!" And that was where Harry had had enough of his life. He fainted with no clear plans if he ever wanted to be conscious again.

The thing about Albus Dumbledore was that he was one big contradiction staring you in the face. Manipulation and lying was good if it meant that the world would stay out of chaos for another few years. Harry didn't know exactly how he felt about Albus Dumbledore since Harry's death. Before Harry's death, he had learned many things that had deeply troubled him but when he met with Dumbledore in King's Cross, Harry almost understood Dumbledore's need to protect all he cared about even to such extent. Harry was still confident that he had seen Dumbledore when he died even though Hermione, and because of their new flourishing relationship, Ron, thought that it was his mind's ramblings to sort out reality and not an actual occurrence.

"I think he's awake!"

"Oh! Harry dear, are you alright? Open your eyes if you can."

Harry cautiously opened his eyes and saw an only slightly foggy version of Mrs. Weasley and Ginny hovering over him. Harry was going through a potion's regimen to correct his vision, a strange thank you from Snape for defeating the Dark Lord though the man claimed it was due to the great offence his old glasses made to the world that didn't need any more horrors than necessary.

"Wha's going on?" Harry mumbled.

"Dear, you fainted. You should be perfectly fine but do you remember what happened right before you fainted?" came from a caring but hesitant Mrs. Weasley.

Harry's eyes widened to the point that he resembled a very strange owl. "He… Dumbledore!" Harry leapt out of the bed that he had been levitated onto during his fainting spell and grabbed his wand from the bedside table. Harry was planning to go to the one place that he was sure Dumbledore would always return to, Hogwarts.

Amazingly enough Harry made it through the door even with the attempts of the women to catch him before he successfully made his escape.

Since the war, Harry and thousands of other magical beings had helped raise the school from its rubble and into a past glory that hadn't been seen in centuries. In a few days the school would be opening once again to allow students in to its hallowed halls.

This year a new curriculum was in place in a separate part of the castle for young muggleborns to learn about the wizarding world for a couple months every year mostly due to Hermione's influence at the Ministry. Harry agreed with this new addition to the school and had heard endless rants about it from Hermione. The woman would have loved to teach it but she decided that she needed to work at the Ministry to help other messed up areas of the wizarding world that held archaic views.

McGonagal gained the position of Headmistress while Snape decided to live in a newly bought cottage in the country working for himself in an Owl Order Business that from what Harry heard was quite swamped as a Potions Master of Snape's caliber was rare. The Potion's Professor was taken over once again by Slughorn. The man had barely escaped Azkaban in the riots of the aftermath of the Final Battle, but he really did know potions.

The position of the Transfiguration professor was handed to an old rather wizened witch that couldn't tell if up was down or the cushion she had transfigured in order to see properly at the Head Table was a broomstick. Harry didn't have much hope for the next year at Hogwarts which wasn't to say McGonagal would be a bad Headmistress, only that she wasn't Dumbledore and the teachers couldn't put Grindylows to shame.

But now Dumbledore was back, he was alive!

As Harry apparated to the gates of Hogsmead, many cries arose of 'Harry Potter!' but they fell upon deaf ears as Harry raced down the path leading to Hogwarts. When Harry burst through the front doors after overriding the protective enchantments with a wave of his hand, he was assaulted with an array of wands before Snape's voice came to his ears.

"Potter! You daft idiot! We could have killed you. Is it really that hard to learn how to knock?" but Harry wasn't listening because in front of him surrounded by a gaggle of teachers was Dumbledore or someone who looked suspiciously like Dumbledore.

"Harry!" was the soft exclamation of delight that came from a young man perhaps in his late twenties. Unfortunately once again he fainted.

This time when he awoke he heard the same voice he had heard last time. "Foolish boy. We told him to rest but no, can't listen to old mothers; they don't know a thing at all." But then that so familiar voice came again.

"Molly, don't be so harsh on the poor boy. Oh well, I suppose he is the Man-who –Lived now. Anyhow, he just received a shock and don't you remember the other day when you found out. I am afraid, madame, that you cannot judge Harry for his reaction to startling news, he has been through a lot." There it was Dumbledore's voice but it sounded younger, a baritone that washed over Harry's senses. That couldn't be right, Harry was delusional again but this time it couldn't be Voldemort's fault because he was dead. Harry had made sure of that, so Harry opened his eyes.

There he was.

Young like in the picture in Rita's book.

Albus Dumbledore.

Apparently, back from the dead.

Hopefully you liked it.

If you have any questions or comments, either leave a review or email me at midnightaxisyahoo .com. I'd love to know what you think as long as you don't spend the entire time insulting me.

I'll update soon.

(For any of you who read Beyond any Sight lays the Truth (Voldemort/Harry) I have the chapters on a different computer and am working on putting them up now. Thanks)


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys! Updating sooner than I thought I would. To answer a question I got: Harry is not wearing glasses but his vision is still slightly blurry from the potions that Snape is giving to him but he'll soon be able to see perfectly.

PLEASE READ: IF YOU DON'T LIKE SLASH THEN DON'T READ THIS STORY. IT'S CLEARLY MARKED AND HAS MULTIPLE WARNINGS. I respect that everyone has their own opinions but I think that if you don't like slash, you don't have any business telling me not to like it or to believe what you do. That's just rude, so if you don't like SLASH or are bothered by Albus/Harry even if they are both young, so it's not grandpa slash, IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, DON'T READ THIS, AND PLEASE DON'T FLAME.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed this story respectfully. I really appreciated it and it made my day so thank you 3

Thanks for reading Hope you enjoy!

-Chapter 2-

-The Troubled-

Dumbledore was alive.

Harry thought that he could deal with that but it might take more than a bit. Hopefully, he wouldn't have another fainting spell before he could at least talk to the man.

"Harry, how are you my dear man?" This time when he saw Dumbledore he didn't fight, but it still shook him down to his core.

Dumbledore now looked like he had been bathed in sunlight. He had golden skin and his hair was a shaggy tawny blond. From the robes he was wearing (he still had no sense of fashion at all) he had clearly gained some muscles. The robes showed off his now fit and slim figure. Harry blushed. This man was the Headmaster…or was… is?

"Um… are you Headmaster again?" was all that Harry could think of to say. Dumbledore gave that warm smile, eyes twinkling all the while.

"Yes Harry. Last night in fact I was reinstated in to my old position by our Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt. Professor McGonagal has graciously agreed to return to her position of Transfiguration teacher as I am afraid our new one is not quite up to form as of late."

"Do not worry Potter; there is no ill will towards the Headmaster. I am sure that it would not be the best job for me." McGonagal seemed not the least bit heartbroken to not have the task of bringing the school back together in the hard aftermath of the war.

"Yes Professor," Harry replied.

"Actually concerning teaching positions, you wouldn't happen to know if dear Severus would appreciate the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor? I haven't talked to him since I died. My portrait alarms me as much as it did him, I think, though a mirror nowadays alarms me just as much I think," and there the eyes were twinkling again. Harry rose from the bed to stand in front of the professors.

"Sir, I haven't talked to him in a couple weeks but as far as I know he is happy."

"Oh good for him. I'd always hoped but I still think that I'll offer him the job. He did used to want that you know."

"Um… Prof—, " but Harry was cut off.

"Please, call me Albus. After everything that we've all been through, it's time."

"Ok…right, Albus… how exactly are you here?" Harry just needed an answer at this point.

"Oh of course. I assume you mean 'alive' because I am sure you know what walking is. Let's see that is a very interesting story, but one that I think that we should share another time. I have already explained it so many times and I think you are the one that I will give the full version to as you are the only one who would understand."

"Albus," now it was McGonagall's turn to be shocked. "I thought that you told us everything!" the indignation in her voice could be heard across Scotland.

"My dear friend, although we have gone through much together I don't see how you could fully comprehend just what Harry here and myself have been through." Maybe Dumbledore was soothing McGonagall but he was just starting to annoy Harry.

"Sir, no offense intended, but you don't really understand what I went through. You were dead, remember. How could you feel what I have gone through these past years even when you were alive." Dumbledore, or rather, _Albus_ now looked apprehensive.

"Now Harry, this is probably not the best place for this conversation, if we could go to my office, if you don't mind Minerva?" Albus' eyes were twinkling again

"Oh of course not," McGonagal replied pretty sarcastically for her regular prim self. "It's not like you owe me the truth after all I've done for you and this school." Dumbledore's eyes lost some of the twinkle.

"Minerva. You know why," Dumbledore said quietly. The only other time Harry had ever seen Dumbledore like this was when they were talking at King's Cross. It wasn't quite any of the expressions he had seen when he was recounting the aftermath of the Triwizard Tournament to a _much_ older looking Dumbledore or after the Ministry, or just ever. It had more history and meaning behind that one gaze than Dumbledore had ever given Harry. This bothered him. But then again, this whole situation was starting to make him want to run away to some discrete mountain, well, you know, if mountains could be discrete, and just hide there like a hermit until life was done throwing him curveballs, or rather hard ones that broke his proverbial nose.

"Professor, that's alright. You don't have to talk right now, but I think that I deserve an explanation at some time or another."

"Of course Harry, I thank you for understanding. Now!" Dumbledore started walking to the Hospital Wing's door with a flourish. Mrs. Weasley quickly followed him; it seemed that she was very happy to have him back. "We must have lunch together if that's fine with everyone," Dumbledore continued. His robes really were the same bizarreness that they always were. Personally for Harry that proved that it was Dumbledore right there because no ex-Death Eater in disguise, well, no one in the world, really, would wear those robes.

Ginny stayed behind for a moment while the two women walked and Dumbledore waltzed gracefully through the doors. Where did Harry come up with this stuff? Snape ended up staying behind as well as they watched the group hurry towards lunch.

"Mrs. Weasley, would you care to assist your mother while I talk to Mr. Potter here?"

"But I—"

"Now." Snape's voice though raspy still held tons of power. If anything, the rasp made him more terrifying than in the past. Ginny flounced to the door in a huff. She still rather loathed Snape.

"Snape, I don't understand. Has he explained it all to you and what about the papers? I haven't seen anything in them."

"Well, you wouldn't. The Ministry has deigned to keep this quiet so in the case that they're wrong about this person being Albus Dumbledore, they won't be persecuted, but they carry too much hope that it really is him and insist on him taking over Hogwarts again, as if Albus would complain."

"But won't students tell their parents?"

"Of course Potter. The Ministry has never been smart, though I expected Shacklebolt to do better than this."

"Sir," they were now walking slowly through the halls after the group that remained rather far up ahead and seemed familiar with the halls, but few of them had changed so this was reasonable. Snape's hair was still greasy, his teeth still yellowing, and was wearing his traditional robes, but there was an air about him that seemed lighter than when Harry had ever known the man. "Has he told you everything?"

"I assume you are talking about his return from the world of the dead. I would also assume that you would know better than to think that Albus Dumbledore would tell everything to one man, but… he is rather attached to you for reasons I shall never understand, so you will have a better chance than most. To answer your idiotic question, no, he has not, and I doubt he ever will." Snape was at least consistent and that was what Harry liked about the man, he always knew what to expect. He considered Snape a friend, even though he would never say it to the man's face. Harry had given back the man's memories after the war, but Snape hadn't wanted them back, he had gone to the Potter's burial site and buried them with his past love. Harry had been there for part of the occasion, but had felt Snape really needed time alone to grieve one last time.

They ended up walking in silence for the rest of the trip to the Great Hall, where Harry would be back in a couple days time for his eighth year that would be offered permanently. After, this year as the seventh year survivors of last year left Hogwarts, the year would be left as a college course to continue their learning before venturing out for a job or apprenticeship. Harry was looking forward to a simple year, even though he would be without the Gryffindor Trio. The memories haunted him as he walked the halls, but he needed to face them because he couldn't get over them waiting in Grimmauld's Place for the rest of his life and he didn't want the constant fighting that came with being and Auror.

As they reached the Great Hall, the saw the house tables stacked on either side of the room and Mrs. Weasley, McGonagall, and Dumbledore were all seated at a medium sized circular table. There were two spots between Dumbledore and McGonagall. When Harry looked at Snape to see where he cared to sit, the man just sneered and gracefully plopped himself down next to McGonagall leaving Harry with the seat between him and Dumbledore.

The plates in front of them seemed to fill magically as Harry sat down. The food looked to be whatever the person felt like. Harry hadn't even known he wanted a grilled cheese or that he wanted two but as he ate he found that it was perfect for him at the moment and rather safe from him throwing it up with all the memories in Hogwarts and Dumbledore's supposed return from the dead. But Dumbledore certainly didn't look like he'd just been returned from the dead and didn't really look like he'd been anywhere near death for decades.

Holy crap. Albus Dumbledore was attractive.

Life just liked to screw with him, didn't it?

Thank you for reading! Sorry it's short but life gets in the way. Let me know if you want me to continue!

Please don't review about your personal beliefs and religion relating to slash in general or just this story because I'm just writing this for fun and I'd rather not ruin my day with bigotry.

Everyone else, thank you for saying you like this story and I will really try to update faster.


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